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Politics : Liberalism: Do You Agree We've Had Enough of It? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (36871)7/29/2008 9:38:32 PM
From: puborectalis  Respond to of 224774
 
RealClearPolitics HorseRaceBlog

By Jay Cost
«July 29, 2008
On Obama's Message
Pundits have criticized the McCain campaign as disorganized, undisciplined, and directionless. These are valid critiques. His camp occasionally reminds one of the incoherent Dole, Gore, and Kerry campaigns.

Meanwhile, the Obama campaign is the opposite of this. He is the Felix Ungar to McCain's Oscar Madison.

However, Obama's organization is built around a politically risky meta-narrative.

A meta-narrative is just a campaign's central message, the core claim that connects all of the campaign's assertions. It communicates the candidate's diagnosis of the country and his prescription for the future. Bill Clinton had a great one in 1992: generational change can invigorate a tired government and grow a sagging economy. Clinton's outfit consistently reinforced this narrative. From the campaign theme, to the selection of Al Gore as running mate, to "It's the economy, stupid" - it made sure people knew his core claim.

Obama's narrative should be similar to Clinton's. It's tailor-made for a year like this and a man like Obama. But that is not the Obama campaign's message. Its message often seems to be: this great man will unify a divided America around himself.

This is not entirely bad. A message of unity could be effective, even though it is tricky to sell in a partisan campaign. The trouble comes with the part about Obama himself. His campaign's emphasis on his greatness is creating three political problems.



To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (36871)7/29/2008 10:10:57 PM
From: Hope Praytochange  Respond to of 224774
 
kennywhiner: Oil Prices Drop, Easing Fears of Energy Shock
By JAD MOUAWAD 12 minutes ago
Oil has fallen more than $23 a barrel, or 16 percent, since peaking on July 3. Gasoline has slipped below $4 a gallon and is dropping fast as Americans drive less.



To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (36871)7/29/2008 10:13:27 PM
From: Ann Corrigan  Respond to of 224774
 
usatoday.com